sphincter

noun
/ˈsfɪŋk.tɚ/US

Etymology

Etymology tree Late Latin sphinctērlbor. English sphincter Learned borrowing from Late Latin sphinctēr (“the muscle of the anus”), from Ancient Greek σφῐγκτήρ (sphĭnktḗr, “lace, band; contractile muscle”), ultimately of Pre-Greek origin. Possibly related to sphinx (“the strangler”).

  1. derived from σφῐγκτήρ
  2. learned borrowing from sphinctēr

Definitions

  1. A ringlike band of muscle that surrounds a bodily opening (such as the anus or the…

    A ringlike band of muscle that surrounds a bodily opening (such as the anus or the openings of the stomach), constricting and relaxing as required for normal physiological functioning.

    • the sphincter of the bladder
    • the iris sphincter in the eye
    • She decided that she would force him to climax first by the sheer strength of her young animal control, the strength of her sphincters […]

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for sphincter. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA